American National Government
CN Political Science 120
Mrs. Kor
kors@tracy.k12.mn.us
Course Overview
Students will study the purposes, principles, and practices of American government as established by the Constitution. Students are expected to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens and how to exercise these rights and responsibilities in local, state, and national government. Students will learn the structure and processes of the government. Special emphasis will be placed on how governments operate in today’s society. Current events, topics, and issues will be discussed and analyzed within the context of political science.
This is a survey course in American government and politics, on which offers a broad study of the nation’s formal and informal political institutions; the U.S. Constitution; intergovernmental relations; electoral politics; and various debates about governance and politics in the United States. This is a course for those with little background in the study of government, as well as for those interested in the advanced study of political science or relate.
In Federalist 51, James Madison stated that in building a government to be directed by flawed mortals over other flawed mortals, “The great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” This is the basic paradox of democracy: How to build a government strong enough to maintain order, yet restrained enough not to destroy liberty. This puzzle is still very much with us 230 years after these words were written and has implications for each of the objectives of this course.
The class format includes lectures and discussions, and student participation is expected. Occasionally there may be guest lectures, or films, in addition to standard lectures. To the extent that it is possible, class materials will be considered in light of contemporary political developments.
Course Objectives
1. Understand a variety of political theories and their role in the creation of America’s government systems.
2. Identify and analyze important primary sources that helped shape American society and politics.
3. Demonstrate an understanding that government depends on informed and engaged citizens who exhibit civic skills and values, practice civic discourse, vote and participate in elections, apply inquiry and analysis skills and take action to solve problems and shape public policy.
4. Develop an understanding that the United States is based on democratic values and principles that include liberty, individual rights, justice, equality, the rule of law, limited government, common good, popular sovereignty, majority rule and minority rights.
5. Analyze how the United States government has specific functions that are determined by the way that power is delegated and controlled among various bodies: the three levels (federal, state, local) and the three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) of government.
6. To better understand one’s own nation and its political system in comparison with the rest of the world.
SMSU Grading Policy/Course Requirements
1. Completion of all assigned readings.
2. Completion of three writing assignments, to be detailed later in the course.
3. Satisfactory Completion of four Response Essays.
3. Two Exams – Mid-Term/Final Exam
Grades for this course are based on two exams. The final exam will be comprehensive, with greater emphasis given to the materials covered after the midterm exam. Make-up exams will be given only after a student provides written verification of a family, medical or personal emergency. Moreover, make-up exams will not, under any circumstances, be given prior to the scheduled test date.
Both tests will consist of multiple choice, true/false, and two essay questions. The objective portion, m/c and t/f, will come from both the assigned readings, notes provided in class, and class lectures. It is important for the student to understand that the assigned readings are essential and will assist the student in writing a clear, crisp essay.
Writing Assignments
Each student will complete one, seven to eight thesis-style paper (typed, double-spaced, with reference notes) on a topic which will be assigned in class. When students are researching their topic, it is highly recommended that library resources be utilized. Each student will also be responsible for a minimum of two other writing assignments. These writing assignments will be 4-5 pages in length and the topic will be assigned in class.
When writing, ensure your grammar is accurate, your sentences complete and unambiguous, and your overall logic is sound. Papers that have sound logic, but little grammatical accuracy will be docked accordingly. Moreover, plagiarism is prohibited. Plagiarism is the presenting of distinctive words or ideas of another as one’s own without crediting the source. Plagiarism equates to cheating, and if discovered, will result in a severe reduction in grade.
Response Essays
Students will complete four response essays in this course. Each essay will be administered similar to an in-class exam. The topic for each essay may or may not be announced prior to being administered.
SMSU Course Grades
Final course grades are determined by calculating a student’s average score. Generally, the traditional grading scale (i.e. 90-100 covers all ‘A’ grades, 80-89 covers all ‘B’ grades, and etc.).
For course grades, the weighing of assignments will be as follows:
Midterm Exam 25%
Final Exam 30%
Response Essays 20% (4 x 5%)
Papers 25% (10% + 7.5% +7.5%)
A 93 and above
A - 90-92
B + 88-89
B 83-87
B - 80-82
C + 78-79
C 73-77
C - 70-72
D + 68-69
D 63-67
D - 60-62
F 0-59
Texts and Study Materials
Primary Text
Wilson, DiIulio, Bose and Levendusky. American Government: Institutions and Policies, The Essentials. 16th
Required Material:
Bring the following materials to class EVERYDAY:
Computer
· Textbook
· Notebook
· Folder with ALL assignments and/or hand-out material
· Pencil/Pen
Classroom Rules:
Be respectful of yourself, others, and the classroom.
Be responsible and accountable for your actions. No excuses.
Be prepared.
Attend to personal needs before class.
5. All other school rules apply.
Classroom Procedures:
Please do not bring food, drink, gum, or other personal items into the classroom.
Come to class on time. Standing outside the door and rushing in after the bell has begun to ring will constitute a tardy. You must be inside the door and seated when it begins ringing to be counted on time
Vocabulary:
Each student is required to hand in a complete list of all of the vocabulary words and definitions identified for each chapter/unit on the day of the test. The assigned words are highlighted throughout the chapter. This assignment is to be hand written! Students are encouraged to use this assignment as a study guide for each test.
Late Work
Late daily work will result in a grade deduction based on the teacher’s discretion. In order to receive credit for this course students are required to complete all assignments, projects, tests, and quizzes even though credit may be denied for any particular assignment. Please see the Tracy Area High School Handbook for other policies.
Absent Policy:
If a student has been absent, he/she must notify the teacher. The teacher will provide a written note that is signed that includes any missing assignments. See the teacher for additional instructions, explanations, or materials. It is your responsibility to gather and complete any and all make-up work! If no planner is presented to the teacher and you do not receive the make-up work, the assignment is considered late. Please see the Tracy Area High School Handbook for further explanation regarding this policy.
Tracy Area High School Grading Policies and Procedures
Tests:
Tests will be administered per chapter and/or per unit of study. Each test may contain a variety of sections including: Matching, Multiple Choice, Interpreting Graphs/Maps/Chart/Documents, True/False, Fill-in-the-Blank, Short Answer, and Essay items. In some cases essay questions will be given to students in advance. There may be some questions from previous chapters on each test. Tests are 60% of the total grade.
Current Events:
Each student will find one story in a newspaper or on a television news program each week for class discussion. The website/source of the news article must be included along with the date that it was retrieved. Use reputable sources only.
The article that you choose MUST relate to the topic of study that is being covered in class. For each article, the student must complete a one paragraph summary. The summary MUST be in your own words and not copied directly from the article. If a student chooses to copy directly from an article the assignment grade will result in a zero.
Each student must also write a one paragraph reaction to the news story. The reaction should include why the student chose to write about the news story and how it relates to the topic of study that is being covered in class.
Current Event assignments will be worth five points each. If a student misses any part of the assignment, or does not meet the requirements for the assignment, full credit will not be earned. Current events are due on Friday at 8:00am each week. Current Events are 1.5% of the total grade.
Daily Work:
For most chapters, students will receive a packet of worksheets to be completed using the textbook. These assignments will be graded based on completion. However, on occasion the worksheets will be handed in and graded. Each daily work assignment will be worth five points. If a daily work assignment is not complete when it is due it will result in a zero. No late daily work assignments will be accepted for credit but must be completed. Daily assignments are 7% of the total grade.
Quizzes:
Random quizzes may be given based on topics that have been covered including: daily assignments, bell work, and essays. Quizzes may or may not be announced. Each quiz will be worth 5-20 points. Quizzes are 10% of the total grade.
Bell Work:
Each day, students will begin the lesson by completing a short activity or answering questions that will be displayed on the Smart Board. Bellwork will be graded periodically. Be sure to keep record of each question or activity. Tests and/or quizzes may include material from Bell Work. Bellwork is 1.5% of the total grade.
Projects:
Students will complete projects that will cover a variety of topics relating to the curriculum. Projects may be completed in groups or individually. Projects may require time out of class to complete. The total points for a project will vary based on size and difficulty. Students must complete the project by the assigned due date. Failure to meet that date will result in a grade penalty. Failure to complete the project will result in a zero. Projects are worth 20% of the total grade.
The majority of the projects completed in American Government will be written formal Essays: A detailed description of each essay prompt will be given to the student as well as a rubric outlining the grading scale. Essays are to in Modern Language Association (MLA) format. Coping and pasting information is not acceptable. Plagiarism will result in a zero, no exceptions.
Extra Credit Policy:
Extra credit assignments will not be given on a regular basis. However, there may be a few opportunities throughout the year to earn extra credit points. Be sure not to pass up any extra credit opportunity because they are few and far between.
Cheating Policy:
The cheating policy of the school will be followed. In addition, there will be no sharing or collaboration on any assignment in this class unless otherwise directed. All work must be done individually. If work of any type is shared, both parties will be called and an administrator will be informed. Moreover, if cheating or plagiarism is suspected, SMSU will be informed and will determine appropriate consequence. All homework must be written by hand (unless otherwise noted).
***Cheating will not be tolerated. Copying any type of work is considered cheating, even if it is only homework. Cheating will result in a grade of zero and an administrative referral. Bottom-line – don’t cheat!
Any cheating, plagiarism or dishonesty detected in an exam or paper will result in penalties ranging from a failing grade for that project to an F for the entire course.
For all exams and assignments I must be satisfied that the language you use is your own. That means the source for any direct quote or close paraphrase is properly cited immediately after that passage (e.g., Adams, p. 424). Make sure any such external source is listed fully in an attached bibliography. If taking a passage from the course text, be certain you cite it, too.
If I observe language that appears not to be written in your own words (from a written source, an artificial generation platform, or another student's work) you will need to explain that situation to my satisfaction or receive a significant penalty, including the possibility of zero points, for that answer.
Course Curriculum – subject to change
Chapter 1 – Introduction to government & Study of American Government
Chapter 2 – The U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights & the Electoral College Debate
Chapter 3 – Federalism
Chapter 8 – Political Participation
Chapter 10 – Elections & Campaigns
Mid-term Exam
Chapter 13 – The Congress & Legislative Process Flow Chart
Chapter 14 – The Presidency
Chapter 16 – The Judiciary
Final Exam